Ex-servicemen’s TV appearance: IHC moved against Pemra order

Islamabad: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) notification, binding the retired servicemen to obtain permission from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) for appearing in any private television channels talk shows as a defence analyst, has been challenged in the Islamabad High Court.

Col Inamur Rahim (retd) stated in his petition that Pemra’s notification, issued on April 4, 2019, was in violation of the spirit of Article 19 of the Constitution, which conferred on all citizens the right of freedom of speech by providing that every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression.

But, according to the petitioner, names of various other retired army officers including him, had not been added to the list. Those not included are: Brigadier Mahmood Shah (retd), Lt Gen Muhammad Asad Durrani (retd), Lt Gen Talat Masood (retd), Maj Amir (retd), and two former director generals of the ISPR – Maj Gen Athar Abbas (retd) and Maj Gen Rashid Qureshi (retd).

Col (retd) Inamur Rahim said in his petition that earlier he had submitted an application to Pemra, requesting it to ban airing of all statements, interviews and speeches of Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, as both were absconders according to the law of the land. However, Pemra had rejected his complaint saying that all citizens have the right to freedom of speech under Article 19.

The petitioner stated that if Pemra could not impose a ban on absconding Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, how come it could ban retired army officers. He requested the court to declare Pemra notification of April 4 null and void, as retired servicemen are also citizens of Pakistan and they also enjoy the right to freedom of speech and the right to appear in TV talk shows as defence analysts.